Ch 126: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Many people are curious about what life is like for the wealthy. In truth, it is not that different from everyone else’s. The houses are bigger, the decor is better, and household chores are handled by dedicated staff. The food, clothing, and daily necessities are more refined.

If there are no particular hobbies, then life is essentially the same as that of ordinary people.

Three meals a day. Eating, drinking, sleeping.

Lin Chuanbai and Yu Xiang’an live in a small villa. Yu Qingshan stays on the first floor, the second floor is for the children when they come over, and the two of them live on the third floor.

Except for cleaning, the third floor is off-limits to the housekeeper. It is not that there are many confidential documents inside, Yu Xiang’an rarely brings such things home. The main reason is to reduce the chance of the staff noticing anything unusual.

From time to time, they disappear there. If someone happened to run into them, it would be hard to explain.

The housekeeper handles the household chores, but how observant they might be is hard to say. Since that is the case, it is better to minimize their access. Saying there are documents upstairs is enough, and they all understand.

At the moment, Lin Chuanbai and Yu Xiang’an are inside their private space. Yu Xiang’an stands beneath a pear tree, picking a plump snow pear. She brings it to her nose and inhales, its sweet fragrance refreshing.

She picks another one and walks over to Lin Chuanbai. He is sitting by the stove, where a pot of water is heating on a gas burner.

The place is fully equipped, with appliances that can be used because they brought in a diesel generator. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. With diesel, they have electricity, and with electricity they can use ovens, refrigerators, induction cooktops, and so on.

What is the hot water for?

It is for scalding a duck.

Looking at the plump duck, Yu Xiang’an suddenly decides to make roast duck.

The moment she says it, Lin Chuanbai goes to slaughter the duck without hesitation, his execution swift and decisive.

Yu Xiang’an laughs at the sight.

Now the duck has already been slaughtered, and they are just waiting for the water to boil so they can remove the feathers.

Since ducks are not easy to handle, he only raises a few of them in this space.

It has been a while since Yu Xiang’an personally slaughtered chickens or ducks.

After so long, her movements are a bit rusty. The two of them work together to clean the large duck, spending quite some time on it.

Once it is thoroughly cleaned, they brush on layer after layer of sauce.

After that, they hang it up to air-dry. The next day, they will apply another layer of sauce before putting it into the oven.

After finishing, the two of them head to the small hill where the spiritual peach trees grow.

Around the base of the trees is a ring of jade and gemstones. Yu Xiang’an casually picks one up and nods in satisfaction.

It is working.

Although it has taken a long time, compared to the control group, there is already a clear difference.

What was once mid-grade has now become high-grade.

If it continues, it might even become top-tier.

So when they have nothing to do, they come here.

Gradually, it becomes natural. Wherever you stay, you are still staying somewhere.

Nearby, there are tables, beds, and other furnishings.

Yu Xiang’an takes the bed, picks up a book from the headboard, and begins reading leisurely.

Lin Chuanbai sits on a stool and picks up the latest issue of Nature from the table.

It is quiet, though not completely silent.

There are faint sounds of cattle and sheep in the distance.

Peaceful and at ease.

When they grow tired of reading, they look out below and see orchards, pastures, processing rooms, and warehouses, a picture of rural tranquility.

Lin Chuanbai says, “Is this what they mean by ‘serenely gazing upon the southern hills’?”

Yu Xiang’an takes a breath, inhaling the fragrance of peaches. “I suppose so. How is your analysis going? Any progress?”

Lin Chuanbai shakes his head. “Not that fast.”

As he says this, his eyes seem to shine. “It’s fascinating. The more I learn, the more I feel I know less.”

Yu Xiang’an recalls the saying that the more one knows, the more one realizes one’s ignorance.

She smiles. “Isn’t that what you like? Learning without end, always climbing one step higher.”

Just like her.

People are rarely satisfied.

Once one condition is met, they begin to want the next.

At first, she wanted to dominate the domestic dining industry and dreamed of expanding overseas.

Now that she has achieved it, is she satisfied?

No.

There is always something along the way that stirs her thoughts, rekindling her desire.

Yu Xiang’an glances at her watch. “It’s getting late. Let’s sleep.”

Staying up late harms the body.

Unless necessary, they keep a very healthy routine.

Lin Chuanbai checks the time as well. “Then let’s rest. We’ll put the roast duck in the fridge at noon.”

They do not want anything greasy in the morning.

Yu Xiang’an agrees.

…Many things have changed, and yet some things have not.

They will walk together to the end of their lives.

The next day at noon, after enjoying a meal of roast duck, Wang Yuyan drives over.

She brings a box of large cherries.

She is still in the process of leveling up, so to speak.

After spending half a year at the seaside resort hotel, she is now working in the HR department of a pharmaceutical factory.

“Grandma, a friend asked me for help. I refused, but I don’t understand what’s going on. Do you know?” Wang Yuyan frowns.

Yu Xiang’an immediately thinks of who it is. “Don’t lend anything, and don’t get involved. You did the right thing by refusing. This is their family’s internal matter.”

Wang Yuyan blinks in confusion.

“Grandma, I’m talking about my university classmate Chen Lichen. Their family business is being targeted by Zhisheng Investment, which is backed by foreign capital…”

Yu Xiang’an nods. “Yes, I know who you mean. You may not know this, but there’s a story behind it.”

Wang Yuyan immediately asks, “What story?”

“The Liu Tao behind Zhisheng Investment is your classmate’s half-brother from the same father. Back then, her father abandoned his first wife and got together with your classmate’s mother. It caused quite a stir. What’s happening now is probably revenge. If he succeeds, the Chen family will go bankrupt.”

Wang Yuyan freezes. She does not think her grandmother would lie to her, so it must be true.

It is impossible to tell on the surface.

Although she is not particularly close to this classmate, she has heard plenty about how loving her parents were, how she was their only daughter and the cherished jewel of the family, envied by many.

Now, hearing that her mother had been the other woman, Wang Yuyan feels disgusted.

“You really couldn’t tell at all.” She had even met Chen Lichen’s parents before and envied them.

Now…

“Grandma, how did you know?”

Yu Xiang’an replies, “A lot of people know. You’re part of the younger generation. It’s been so long that people simply don’t bring it up anymore.”

Wang Yuyan falls silent.

It really is complicated.

There are already few truly loving couples in their circle, and now this makes it even worse.

She cannot help but sigh.

If not for the example set by her own grandparents, she might have lost faith in love altogether.

“Grandma, men out there are too risky. I need to take my time. When my mom starts urging me, you have to speak up for me. I need to choose carefully. Character is the most important.”

Lin Chuanbai comes downstairs, and Wang Yuyan immediately adds, “I don’t ask for much. Someone like Grandpa would be best.”

Lin Chuanbai laughs. “Not someone like your father?”

Wang Yuyan shakes her head seriously. “I prefer someone who can be by my side when I need him.”

Yu Xiang’an nods. “How is it working at the pharmaceutical factory?”

Wang Yuyan cannot help but laugh. “They’re loaded.”

The bonuses there are truly high.

Because the business is doing extremely well.

Yu Xiang’an smiles. “Besides that?”

Wang Yuyan says, “I’m looking forward to the next place.”

Yu Xiang’an says, “How about going to an entertainment company as an agent?”

Wang Yuyan’s eyes widened. “An entertainment company? A talent manager?” It sounded novel, but then she hesitated. “Doesn’t a manager have to help artists make connections and find resources?”

Yu Xiang’an said, “Watch how other artists do things. When you first get there, they are not going to hand you an artist to manage right away. Just focus on learning first.”

Yu Xiang’an felt that Wang Yuyan probably had no real interest in traditional industries. Since that was the case, she might as well go take a look at an emerging one.

Lin Chuanbai gave his granddaughter’s face, one beautiful enough to debut as a star herself, a careful look. “Once you get there, the actresses might think you’re there to steal their livelihood.”

Wang Yuyan could not help touching her face.

She laughed. “Well, I can’t exactly make myself ugly on purpose.”

This time, Wang Yuyan’s parachuting into Xinxing Entertainment was known to upper management. She was one of the major shareholder’s people.

The company had many shareholders. The largest shareholder was the chairman’s side, holding thirty-five percent, and with allied supporters controlled over fifty percent. The second-largest shareholder was Yu Xiang’an.

This second-largest shareholder rarely interfered in the details of management and operations.

So now, all of a sudden, she had parachuted her granddaughter in. Was she planning to have her debut as a celebrity? Was this just a whim? Or was she preparing to step into management?

This was Wang Yuyan’s most complicated start yet.

But the help she received was also the greatest.

Some of the higher-ups, once they learned who she was, took the initiative to help her.

Anything she did not understand could basically be answered.

The senior executives at the top were not of one mind either.

Most belonged to the largest shareholder’s camp, but there were also people aligned with the other shareholders, and some from her grandmother’s side as well.

So many factions, all split apart.

Wang Yuyan: “…”

Complicated.

But exciting.

And with so many celebrities, so many beautiful people all gathered in one place, it really was a feast for the eyes.

The first time Wang Yuyan saw that many handsome men and beautiful women gathered together, she thought that if her mother were here, she would definitely be delighted.

Her mother loved looking at beautiful people.

But in actual interaction, these beautiful people… had far too many schemes in their heads.

The people below did not know her background, but seeing her placed at the side of a top gold-medal manager, compared to the other managers, that was a meteoric rise.

Artists who wanted to be managed by her began volunteering themselves to her.

…

Lin Yining watched the bustle around her daughter with great interest.

Her daughter really was blessed, surrounded by handsome men and beautiful women.

The only question was whether she would be able to handle it.

Wang Yuyan: …Yes, definitely her biological mother.

As Wang Yuyan gradually appeared in public, the media reacted with confusion.

Was Xinxing Entertainment seriously wasting a treasure like this?

With those looks and that temperament, she was going to be a manager?

Because of that, actresses of a similar type wanted nothing to do with being under her.

It was one thing to be outshone by another actress, but being crushed by your own manager’s looks was just too brutal.

It was like wearing the same outfit as someone else, whoever looked worse was the one embarrassed.

So when Wang Yuyan began managing artists herself, the ones she took on at first were all male artists.

The challenge here was even greater, but that only drew Wang Yuyan in more.

Later, when Yu Xiang’an asked whether she wanted to go somewhere else, Wang Yuyan refused.

…

Two years later, the top artist under Wang Yuyan, Yue Wu, starred as the female lead in a certain film and became a smash hit overnight.

On a certain forum, someone started a thread.

Let’s dig into a certain manager whose surname is W

Original poster: The first time I saw her at the film press conference, I thought she was some junior artist my Yue-jie was bringing along, and I was instantly worried for Yue-jie.

Good grief, I thought she was a rival.

Then the press conference started, and she stepped aside.

Me: ???

That was actually Yue-jie’s manager. The manager behind the scenes!

The original poster could not help being stunned by Xinxing’s strength.

A pretty lady like that? I’m totally into it.

The most recent time I saw her was at Yue-jie’s celebration party.

Standing beside Yue-jie, only one phrase came to mind: twin moons shining in the sky!

A pair of peerless beauties!

A perfect match! Pure nonsense, I know.

Anyway, this beautiful manager completely piqued my curiosity, and I could not resist searching for more information about her.

And then I was stunned.

This manager has only been in the industry for a little over two years.

Under her, she has Yue Wu and Wu Lin.

There’s no need to say much about Yue-jie. This breakout film launched her straight into the top tier. Wu Lin has also been a very popular idol actor these past two years.

But two years ago, one was a complete nobody, and the other was an eighteenth-tier nobody who had already been floating around the entertainment industry for three or four years without ever making a splash.

But if you count up the resources they’ve gotten over the past two years, they are not resources people of their original standing should have been able to get.

So where did they come from?

The company.

The manager.

I’m inclined to think it was the manager.

Because Wu Lin had already been in the company before, and he had never received resources like this.

It was only after he came under this manager that he got them.

Come on, let’s look at the pictures.

This is the beautiful manager from an earlier news appearance.

The car behind her is registered under her own name. Seven figures.

The watch on her wrist, I don’t even need to explain the brand. Also seven figures.

The clothes on her body are not from one of those big foreign luxury brands, but from a high-end domestic fashion label, a custom-made piece. The original poster has no idea what it costs.

Do you think a manager’s salary can really pay for this?

Now let’s look at the next picture. This is another car. I checked, and it is not under the company’s name either, so it is also hers personally.

I probably don’t need to introduce this one. Limited edition, over thirty million.

Now look at some of her other photos, the clothes and handbags she wears.

Even if they are not all outrageously expensive, she really has a lot of new outfits.

And her Weibo once posted a photo of her with Yue-jie. Look at the background. That is Shengjing Tower.

From this angle and position, that means it is Mingyue Huafu. Property prices in that development have already gone over one hundred thousand per square meter.

Do you think the manager owns a place there, or is she renting there?

Anyway, the apartments the company arranges for employees are not there.

Then I dug further back into earlier years.

1st floor: Sitting here waiting for the gossip.

2nd floor: Front row selling melon seeds, stools, and cola.

3rd floor: One pack of five-spice melon seeds, thanks.

4th floor: Saving a spot first. I’m curious about this manager too.

5th floor: Has someone finally started digging into this manager? Sitting properly and waiting, I’m super curious too.

6th floor: She is definitely not an ordinary manager. I actually suspected before that Wu Lin was getting these resources through some shady deal. I used to suspect other people, but now it seems the answer was right under our noses. The manager herself is the rich woman.

7th floor: Yue Wu just got lucky to land a breakout film.

8th floor: Don’t derail. This thread is about the manager.

9th floor, original poster: Here are the pictures, picture, picture.

Three photos were posted in a row, showing the manager entering and leaving high-end venues, as well as photos of her laughing and chatting closely with a well-known second-generation rich heir.

10th floor: Could it be that the manager herself is a rich second-generation heir? Or is she the one being kept, and then she in turn is keeping someone else?

11th floor: A nesting doll situation?

12th floor: Random passerby offering a few photos. I took these casually when I ran into them at a dinner. The quality is a bit trash. The man sitting opposite her is the boss of our rival company. He only has a son, no daughter, and the son is single, no daughter-in-law either.

The moment these photos were posted, the replies below immediately went off in a crooked direction.

13th floor: Is it what I think it is? If so, that’s disgusting.

14th floor: If that’s the case, then her goal definitely isn’t to stay just a manager, right? A celebrity’s income is on a completely different level from a manager’s. With her looks, she has the capital for it.

15th floor: Her face might not even be natural. She could have had plastic surgery.

16th floor: …

More and more people joined the discussion, and more and more photos were posted. Someone even made a tree diagram, laying out along a timeline who she had interacted with and what those people represented.

If you looked carefully, there were quite a lot of photos of Wang Yuyan. Because of her looks, and with phones so advanced now, people casually taking pictures would unintentionally capture her in frame whenever they saw someone that good-looking, even though she was not an artist.

After a night of buildup, the thread blew up. Everyone was talking about who exactly Yue Wu’s now-famous manager was.

Some were criticizing, others were simply curious.

As the popularity rose, someone influential came out and posted.

Let’s talk about a certain manager

I searched based on her name and found she had appeared in reports before. She was the runner-up in the science track in a certain year, went to a top-two university, double bachelor’s degrees, postgraduate at the same school. Her mother is Lin Yining, a university professor and calligrapher. Most importantly, she has a grandmother we are all familiar with.

Who is this manager’s grandmother?

Step outside and you will see a Five-Flavors restaurant. That belongs to her grandmother.

You all know who I’m talking about now, right? She’s a third-generation rich heir. Having those cars is completely normal.

And this picture, the car worth over thirty million, has appeared before. It was a birthday gift her grandmother gave her grandfather. She probably just took it out for a drive.

This time, the replies lined up neatly.

1st floor: OP is awesome, the manager is awesome!

2nd floor: OP is awesome, the manager is awesome!

3rd floor…

Someone noticed and asked Wang Yuyan whether she wanted the post deleted.

Wang Yuyan said, “No need. There’s nothing here that can’t be seen.”

She had known about it from the beginning and said nothing as things developed. Some of the photos had even been released by her herself. As the buzz grew, she watched her follower count on Weibo climb rapidly.

The most-liked new comment read:

“Went to buy oranges”: Came to admire a rich, fair, beautiful lady. Miss, do you need a leg accessory? The kind that can eat, drink, and act cute. [dog head]

Wang Yuyan gave it a like.

The reason she let it happen was because she planned to eventually branch out and establish her own studio.

Without Xinxing backing her, many things would no longer be as convenient. She needed to increase her visibility.

Originally, she had not had this idea. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. But after her artist became popular, some people began making sarcastic remarks and trying to take credit. Of course Wang Yuyan would not allow that. But in a place with so many shareholders and factions, even with her grandmother behind her, her voice did not carry much weight. After taking a few losses, she came up with this plan.

Some people wanted to interview Wang Yuyan. Others wanted to interview Yu Xiang’an.

One of them was an old acquaintance, so Yu Xiang’an agreed to a phone interview.

Reporter: “What are your thoughts on your granddaughter working as a manager in the entertainment industry?”

Yu Xiang’an asked in return, “What would you like me to say? What I want to say is, whatever she wants to do, I won’t interfere. She’s already an adult. I respect her choices, and I hope you will respect them too.”

The media did not hear what they wanted and left disappointed. But not long after, another piece of news broke.

Wang Yuyan had taken her artists and gone independent. Her grandmother had lent her one hundred million as working capital.

One hundred million?

Even if it was a loan, whether it would be repaid or not was practically just a matter of their word.

As soon as this news came out, it drew massive attention.

People in the entertainment industry reached out, hoping to attach themselves to her. Those outside the industry reacted with envy at the sheer number.

Top comment, “Little Assistant Eating Melons”: I’m so jealous, so jealous! Under the lemon tree, it’s you and me!

“Entertainment Gossip”: I can’t take it anymore. My god, I’m so jealous. When I started a business and borrowed from my dad, he gave me twenty thousand.

“Gossip Account”: At least you could borrow. My family’s total assets don’t even reach twenty thousand. Starting a business like that is just a dream.

“Gentle Breeze”: One hundred million, so many zeros! Is this the world of the rich? Lending one hundred million to a granddaughter to start a business.

Everyone was full of envy. In reality, they had formally signed a loan agreement and even calculated interest.

They deliberately made the news public to showcase their strength and attract more newcomers.

The news buzzed for several days before another story overshadowed it, this time focusing on Yu Xiang’an.

They announced they had developed a nutritional supplement with life-extending effects and were recruiting volunteers, inviting those who met the criteria to sign up.

Netizens: ???!!!

Extend lifespan?!

That impressive?

User 1: Look at the description. It supposedly extends life by about two years. But eating well, living well, and paying attention to nutrition can already extend lifespan. Compared to before, if you improve your habits, of course you’ll live longer. Human lifespan isn’t fixed. How can you prove this extends life? This is a false proposition.

User 2 cautiously offered evidence: Do you know that her husband’s grandfather lived to one hundred and ten? And look at the couple’s faces. I feel like this “life extension” isn’t just talk. Looking forward to follow-up.

User 3: Same, looking forward to it. Aren’t they recruiting volunteers now? Let’s see the results first, then discuss whether it’s a scam.

User 4: Their products have always been reliable. Management hasn’t changed, so why would their direction suddenly shift? I don’t believe it. I support it. I asked my grandfather, and he wants to sign up.

…

Yu Qingshan also received many calls, asking whether his daughter and son-in-law gave him any special supplements in daily life.

Yu Qingshan thought carefully. “No, we just eat together. Nothing special. If there’s anything slightly different, it’s that we drink some tonic wine for health, but those are all products we already make. Nothing else.”

Since people could not get much information from Yu Qingshan, their attention shifted entirely to Lin Chuanbai and Yu Xiang’an.

Their progress had come from a spiritual peach finally ripening.

Neither of them ate it. They planned to wait for the next batch.

Part of the peach was turned into juice for Yu Qingshan to drink. The rest became experimental material for Lin Chuanbai.

This time, he was not disappointed. From the ripe spiritual peach, he discovered a unique substance. Based on his judgment, it could have life-extending effects.

Extending lifespan essentially meant revitalizing cellular activity and increasing the number of times cells could divide, thereby achieving longevity.

Lin Chuanbai had already conducted experiments on animals. Now all that remained was human trials.

Other companies were watching closely, paying particular attention to those signing up.

After all, who would not want a longer life?

Especially those in power, who were mostly older and even more fixated on longevity.

🌱🌿 🫧🍃